Thursday, 11 June 2015

Run Dorset - Wimborne - Race Report

Pretty hardcore hills and craggy terrain. That's how I'd describe the trail race/cross country course for the Run Dorset event at Wimborne in May. Of course the race organisers described it as 'mainly flat and perfect for fast times'!

The race started on the playing fields of my old school - Queen Elizabeth's in Wimborne. Apart from a single trip to their leisure centre a couple of weeks previously, I've not been back since leaving after my last A-level exam more years ago than I care to remember!

The race set off onto closed roads and soon turned off road onto gravel, grassy banks and stony slopes. A 'novelty' was the inclusion of kissing gates, stiles and rustic wooden steps. We came across all of these within the first km so there was definitely a serious bottleneck at these points - of course on the return journey the field had thinned somewhat so they were a lot less of a delay on the way back.

The race definitely took in some pretty terrain though. Passing fields of rapeseed, bluebell woods and avenues of ancient oak trees all added to that authentic Dorset feel and I definitely got well into my stride on the flatter middle bits.

The timing at Run Dorset events is via a wristband that is dibbed into a device at the finishing line. This seems to work quite smoothly and your results are handed to you just moments after finishing!

A great race and you can still grab your slot at the last of the Run Dorset events in Christchurch on October 18th.

Junathon update - Rest Day today but I certainly kept active with a mammoth lawn moving session of a quarter of an acre of grass!